December began with a bombshell. The return of Leroy Starkweather. Dead since Hallowe'en, only to make an inauspicious appearance just under a month later. Breathing once again, tasting oxygen atop his greasy tongue in lieu of not doing so for twenty-nine days, left him blithe. Coupling that with the fact that Crow jumped ship and bestowed leadership upon him as soon as the hound made it home, a role that he pursued for over a year, it was easy to say that he felt happier than ever before. Before, he lived among his brethren, those he held dearest. Now, he oversaw them. And after not communicating with a single person for such an extended period of time, barring his estranged adopted father, simply existing in the company of Tanglewood's population enlivened his spirits tenfold.

Leroy feared that not everyone shared his fervor. Wishing to maintain an ample level of discretion around the subject matter, Leroy had not disclosed the circumstances behind his return at the time (and still had yet to); a move that may have generated some degree of skepticism among the tribe's newer faces. Whilst he spieled at the foot of the statue, the General recalled being the subject of numerous dirty looks, all from a particular group of people. Given the iffy nature of his homecoming, any potential doubts about the canine were totally justified. However, all of the uncertain glances arose from individuals who the male hadn't seen before, let alone heard of. Come what may, the mongrel yearned for a chance to prove himself to the wary newcomers, to prove that he wasn't a fraudulent scoundrel, but a worthy leader. That's how he saw himself, at least.

Meanwhile, everybody loved Aurum. Hell, even Leroy loved Aurum. What's not to love about the dude? He's righteous, strives to find good in everything, and has this Midas-like effect where everything he graced became golden. The lion was clearly a hit with everyone, which was a driving factor in why he was promoted to Captain of the Guard. God, that role was such a mouthful. Anyways. Aurum got the job on December 1st, the day of the meeting. Since then, no one-on-one interaction between the two had occurred. A shame, really, as some remote verbal interaction between the two was long overdue, especially since all the shit that happened subsequent to the last time they spoke.

Thus, Leroy went out of his way to locate the male, visiting the Captain's house, the mess hall, the library, just about everywhere, until he finally tracked him down.

// [member=6881]aurum.[/member]

//so yeah you choose where the thread takes place, and you can have aurum initiate idc asckaksalassa

Aurum wasn't an idiot, or at the very least he liked to believe that he wasn't. He could certainly see why some people were suspicious over Leroy's sudden return, but he found little reason to really be that concerned. Leroy's aura felt the same, if not a little muddled, and while the Captain didn't often rely on his angelic powers for things relating to Tanglewood, this just felt like common sense. However, even keeping this in mind, Aurum had no earthly idea why he was so well liked over the hound. There were several sayings about how someone never really saw the good inside themselves until it was told to them by other people, and Aurum tended to be a rather literal example of that. Sure, he tried hard and strived to give his all to Tanglewood, but it wasn't as if he never made mistakes, and he wasn't truly able to figure out why everyone turned to him in times of trouble, rather than Leroy. Of course, the lion never refused to help out – it was part of his job, after all – but it still felt a little disrespectful, how certain members of the group completely bypassed the General, instead choosing to come to him. He had been growing more and more concerned with it over time, but he hadn't really had a chance to talk about it with Leroy. The two of them were constantly busy, and that tended to make it a little bit harder for the two of them to meet up and discuss things.

One thing that Aurum definitely wasn't used to was Leroy actively seeking him out, and when he heard pawsteps approaching as he sunbathed in front of his home, a sigh left him. The lion rumbled without opening his eyes, his wings stretched to either side of him, "Jesus, I swear I'm beginning to feel like the Dad in this situation while Leroy is the Mom. If you're here to ask me something you couldn't ask Leroy, I will present you with the question 'did your Mother say yes'?" When he opened his eyes, expecting to see one of the members of the group, he was surprised to see Leroy, instead. Blinking in surprise, Aurum rumbled with a chuckle as his tail flicked back and forth, "Oh shit, Leroy. Sorry, I thought you were one of the others... people keep coming to me without even considering going to you. It's starting to get a little bit frustrating..." A sigh left the Captain as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting up position, stretching out his wings and groaning, "It's good to see that it's you, though. Do you need something?"

Tanglewood's leader releases a somewhat forced chuckle at Aurum's odd analogy. It verged on humorous territory (he believed), though sounded genuine enough to throw him off focus and consider it serious. In his day, Aurum said some stuff that the canine saw as eccentric, and this circumstance felt just as offbeat. Apart from his initial reaction, Leroy found himself nodding slowly whilst the lion spoke. Indeed, it was frustrating that many a Tangler preferred to rely on the captain of the guard instead of the general, and he took it to heart. Of course, their attitudes towards his leadership would undoubtedly change with time, but he wished that such wasn't the case. Wasn't chaotic development embedded in the group's very core? What was with the skepticism? Was this at all Crow's fault?

The oversized feline asks a question. "Do you need something?"

"Well, Aurum," he starts, shuffling his front paws softly, "I need to have a chat with you. Yain't in trouble, don't worry, I just figured it was weird that ya've been actin' second in command for almost a whole month now, and we still haven't really spoke 'bout much. So like, I just wanted to talk 'bout some official stuff today, just to get it cleared, if that's fine by you."

In all honesty, Aurum wasn't completely sure where all of the skepticism about Leroy's new leadership had come from. Sure, perhaps the circumstances surrounding it all were pretty odd, but they lived in a pretty damn odd world. It wasn't as if others hadn't ever come back from the dead before, and Aurum could certainly see that Leroy's aura was indeed the same, if just a little... muddled. The lion believed it had something to do with Snarl, since she was one of the newer members of the group and a definite diehard skeptic, but he also couldn't just come out and accuse her. After all, she hadn't even said anything at Leroy's first meeting. In fact, nobody was actually saying anything to Leroy's face, they were just sort of dodging the issue and coming to Aurum, who honestly wasn't sure if he would've preferred that they just come right out and accuse Leroy of being a fake. Still, when Leroy began to speak to him about some pretty official sounding stuff, Aurum pushed that all aside, figuring he could look into it further later. Right now he had duties as acting second in command, and he was more than happy to fulfill them. Stretching out a little bit more to shake off the last clinging bits of grogginess from his previous sunbathing session, the lion rumbled to Leroy with a bit of a crooked smile, "Ah... yeah, I suppose that is pretty odd. Sure, I'm more than happy to talk to you about some official stuff. I wanna be able to help out in any way that I can... so what'd you have in mind to speak about?" Aurum, luckily, had some decent experience with it came to dealing with official business like this. Even though he didn't exactly look back on his childhood with anything close to any level of "fondness", one thing he could certainly appreciate was his Father telling him about how groups like the Pride and Tanglewood worked and operated.

Leroy purses his maw whilst the lion's dialogue come to a close. Indeed, he wished to discuss dignified matters in Aurum's respectable company, and he knew exactly what he desired to say. Yet, the words didn't seem to flow properly, as if they were clogged in his esophagus yearning not to come up. It was a subject touched upon only in the presence of Crow, and each time it got brought up, the discussion's lifespan lasted an eminently brief period of time. This was primarily due the discomfort he still found in the predicament. He wasn't actually there... but, he was, wasn't he?

Regardless of how he personally felt about the matter, it was of the utmost importance for Aurum to know about this ghastly business. It was only a matter of time before all went to shit, and if the acting second in command truly wanted to play his part in the preservation of Tanglewood's well being, then he most certainly ought to be informed of the one thing that could politically tear the tribe a new one. "First 'n foremost, I need to say sum'n about - like - me." God, wasn't there a way to say this without being incredibly awkward? "On Hallowe'en, ya saw the life leave my eyes in the library. So how the hell am I standin' here right now, ya must be wonderin'." Then, he leans in, mostly for dramatic effect. "That's the thing. I am dead. This body, it ain't me - but a living, breathing, eating, drinking, shitting vessel for my soul."

"I'll spare ya the in-depth deets, unless ya truly wanna hear 'em," he offers, returning to his normal stance in which he stood before, "but essentially, it's possession. Possession of my little brother, specifically, which is why I look like me from before, but ten times as beautiful." His concluding comment was of comedic nature, though he doesn't wear it on his face. The canine's expression is one of uncertainty. Fear, even. "I'm pretty sure the fella I'm controllin' ain't too happy to do my biddin'," Leroy confesses, "so the event of me losin' control of his strings ain't impossible." This scares him. He didn't want to lose authority over Christian. He cared too much for too many people, and being completely dead again would ruin that. "I need ya to promise me, Aurum, that if shit goes haywire, you'll take care of Tanglewood. These are good people, and I don't want to leave 'em in a rough spot by runnin' off. If I got you ready to take my place at any moment, then at least I know that the tribe is in good hands."

If someone had once told Aurum, shortly after he had joined Tanglewood, that he would one day be the second in command, and have to deal with Leroy taking possession of his little brother's body? Well, the lion probably would've laughed his ass off before telling them very properly to fuck right off. However, that was the situation that the angel was now being faced with, and he couldn't help but feel... well, stunned was a word for it. When Leroy had first leaned in, talking about the day he had died and returning from it, Aurum had already been feeling himself tensed up, entirely ready for Leroy to tell him that he had made a fucking deal with the devil or some other very nasty shit. And while this was far from ideal, at least it wasn't at that level. The description of Christian's body... a vessel, it didn't really quite sit right with Aurum, who felt a sort of unpleasant crawling feeling in his pelt at the wording of it all. He faintly wondered if Christian was able to hear them talking from in there, feeling insulted and furious as he waited for the right moment to overtake his captor. The thought made Aurum's lips dip downward, an uneasy sort of look on his face and muzzle. Thankfully, Leroy was already continuing in his little speech, and Aurum was swiftly distracted from that unpleasant line of thinking.

What Leroy was asking him to do... well, it wasn't entirely unprecedented. After all, it was very much possible that Leroy could lose control, and they had already seen the shitshow that happened when the General disappeared off the face of the map, so the lion could understand why the request was genuine. Still, he found himself nodding a bit stiffly, seemingly processing everything he had just been told. Morally, he really wasn't sure what the fuck to think about this. Stealing a body? Possessing someone against their will? It wasn't exactly the way to get yourself a first class ticket into the pearly gates. Still, what was he gonna do? Force Leroy out of his brother's body? Kill him? Both of those options made his insides twist unpleasantly, so he decided to leave morals out of it, shoving that argument away for later as he spoke, "I... wow, that's a lot to take in. Well.... I can promise you what you need. Tanglewood is my home, and has been for a good while now... we were all feeling pretty uneasy when Crow became a drunken hermit, and I don't really want a repeat of our general disappearing off to fuck knows where with no one to step up, so... I promise, if things go sideways, that I'll step in to make sure that things are alright..." It was an easy promise for him to make, since he meant all of it. Tanglewood meant more to him than anything, and if the group ended up needing him, he would step up. There was no question about it. Still, he had questions about... other things. Clearing his throat, the lion rumbled, "Not to pry, or anything, but... how do you know that... that your little brother doesn't like you possessing him? I mean, of course, I'd assume it would be obvious, but... is it like... a feeling?"

The general's breathing grows steadier whilst Aurum promises of Tanglewood's safety, unenthusiastically chortling at the acrimonious mention of Crow. It wasn't as if Leroy doubted that the tribe would be in safe hands on the occasion of him suddenly vanishing, though the verbal confirmation allowed him some relief. Any day now, something bad, something completely uncontrollable, was going to occur. He was a essentially a time bomb - and, boy, was he ticking. Though, as long as the wolfhound could count on Aurum to keep affairs around here in tiptop shape during his inevitable absence, he need not worry about the matter any further.

The male dips his noggin in a respectful bow. "I'm glad I can count on ya, Aurum," he earnestly affirms, "it means a lot."

By then, the focal intention of this little meetup with Aurum had been covered. The lion had become wary of his unfortunate predicament, and there was henceforth a backup plan on the occasion of shit hitting the fan. Now, his confidant had decided to step forward and inquire about something that was on his mind. Something that Leroy cherished little, and preferred not to be pestered about. However, with the matter being what this whole get together fixated on, it was only fair for the lion to hear proper answers.

His elated expression straightens out. "It's like..." he begins, ere trailing off and falling into a prolonged state of thought. "I dunno how to really put it- it's like..." But once again, his search for words ends in failure. "It's pretty hard to describe shit that goes on in my head. But, like - sometimes, I'll be happy as hell, but then I'll get all pissy without a moment's notice. Or, I'll want to do somethin', but then all that ambition will dwindle in like a second flat."

"It's like there's another mind in my head that's tryna undo how I'm feeling or what I'm tryna do. Like it's fightin' me, or somethin'."